Emergency dept visit low mdm
Emergency department visits for low-complexity medical issues show hospital outpatient charges 4.1x the Medicare benchmark of $68.25, making bill verification essential before payment.
About the analyst
Elena Vasquez leads hospital billing pattern analysis at BillRazor Research. She focuses on identifying overcharges, markup outliers, and patient advocacy strategies. Expertise: hospital billing patterns, overcharge analysis, patient advocacy.
CPT code 99283 represents a basic emergency department visit where the physician makes low-complexity medical decisions, typically for patients with minor injuries, simple infections, or stable chronic conditions that need urgent but not critical care. This level of ED visit is commonly billed for conditions like minor cuts, urinary tract infections, or medication refills that cannot wait for a regular doctor's appointment. From a billing perspective, this code typically charges 2.5x to 4x the Medicare reimbursement rate depending on the facility and payer mix.
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Facility rate
$68
National Medicare benchmark
Non-facility rate
$71
Office setting benchmark
Data sources
3
23 data points
Key insights for CPT 99283
Facility vs office setting
$3 differenceFacility setting is less expensive for this procedure
What this procedure costs across different settings
The same procedure can cost very different amounts depending on where it's performed. These are the Medicare-allowed amounts — what hospitals actually charge can be 3-10x higher.
| Setting | Medicare rate | vs lowest |
|---|---|---|
| Facility (physician office) | $68 | Lowest |
| Non-facility (office) | $71 | +4% |
| Outpatient (APC) | $277 | +306% |
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About this data
Rates shown are from the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS), Ambulatory Surgery Center Payment System, Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule, Durable Medical Equipment Fee Schedule, and CMS Inpatient Prospective Payment System (DRG weights). Regional adjustments use CMS Geographic Practice Cost Indices (GPCI). Hospital charges are from CMS Hospital Price Transparency machine-readable files. All data is publicly available under federal law (45 CFR Part 180).
This data is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or financial advice. Actual costs depend on insurance coverage, negotiated rates, and individual circumstances.
Related procedures
Related pricing data
Data: Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, CMS Inpatient PPS (IPPS), Outpatient PPS (OPPS), ASC Payment System, Clinical Lab Fee Schedule (CLFS), National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC). FY 2024 data. All publicly available from CMS.
Methodology: Facility rate applies when the procedure is performed in a hospital or ASC. Non-facility rate applies in a physician office. GPCI adjustments reflect regional cost-of-living differences.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not medical, financial, or legal advice. Actual costs depend on your insurance and provider. We recommend verifying costs directly with your provider. Full methodology · Terms of use